Forever Yours
by Hikaru Morinaga
Summary: Rekka. I would rather live a short life with the man I love than to live for all eternity without him. EliwoodxNinian. One shot.


**Forever Yours**

**Author's Notes:** Just a little thing for Valentine's Day involving Eliwood and Ninian. I thought it would be a good idea because Eliwood is the king of sap, so yeah.

Based on Marcus and Lilina's one support conversation where Marcus tells Lilina what Eliwood did three days before he and his wife got engaged. Because it was sappy. Yesh.

So. The story! Feedback is welcome and appreciated!

**Disclaimer:** Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken belongs to Intelligent Systems/Nintendo. The lyrics for "Far Away" do not belong to me, they belong to Nickelback.

**Dedicated to Sara Jaye**

-x-

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me_

_and you'll never go_

_Stop breathing if_

_I don't see you anymore._

_'Cause with you, I'd withstand_

_all of Hell to hold your hand_

_I'd give it all, I'd give for us_

_Give anything but I won't give up._

-x-

He had been gone for three days.

I sighed and looked out our bedroom window, looking out into the clear blue sky and overlooking the trees, their leaves changing to different colours. I had never seen orange or yellow leaves before, but it was a lovely sight. Autumn, as Lord Eliwood called it, was definitely encroaching on us.

I pulled away from the window and moved over to the bed. There was nothing to do except wait for him to return--the servants insisted I not help them with their duties as per Lord Eliwood's orders. Laying down on my back, I stared at the elegant looking ceiling and tried hard to not think about the life I left behind for this. Sometimes I often wondered about Nils and if I would have been happier living with him, but then I would often feel this weird pang of some unknown feeling, like my heart is about to split in two. I wouldn't be happy living that life, even if I would have lived forever. Not after I met Lord Eliwood.

I heard the sounds of hooves beating against the cobblestone road leading to the castle and wondered if we were expecting any visitors. I turned onto my side and fingered the quilt Lord Eliwood received for his birthday from his lady mother last year, trying to take my mind off of Nils and what_could_ have been. I was happy here. I wanted to be here, I made my decision.

But sometimes I often wondered if it was the right choice.

I heard voices from downstairs and tried to listen in for some kind of familiarity. There was a sort of loud voice that I knew belonged to Sir Marcus, the soft but firm voice of Lady Eleanora...

And then there was a sort of deep (but pleasantly so) voice that sounded like it belonged to someone crossing over to manhood.

I sat up on the soft feather-filled mattress and stared at the door, expecting it to open at any minute, for I sensed someone coming. Soft footsteps gradually became louder as they walked from the stairs to my bedroom.

I straightened my dress out and brushed imaginary lint off of the silken fabric, something I wasn't quite used to wearing yet, as I found it too fancy for my tastes, and waited for the eventual knock on the door.

A light knock came at the door three times before a voice called.

"Ninian?"

It was the voice again, and I smiled.

"Come in," I said softly, but loud enough for him to hear.

"You look exhausted," I said as the door opened. Lord Eliwood sheepishly smiled and I noticed one hand was behind his back, the other on the handle to the door. I raised an eyebrow but said nothing; he would probably explain what he was hiding from me soon enough.

He walked fully into the room and closed the door with the heel of his foot, both hands holding onto whatever was behind his back as he greeted me with a kiss on the forehead.

"I didn't sleep much," he admitted, grin still gracing his features. "I missed you too much."

I flushed and didn't meet his eyes, the floor suddenly catching my attention.

"I'm sorry I left on such short notice," he explained, "but I had...something I needed to do."

I held up my hands and waved them back and forth. "There is no need for explanations. You can come and go as you please."

The grin on his face got wider.

"I knew you would say something like that. But my trip away was not in vain; I brought you something back from it."

He produced a bouquet of white lilies from his back, a slight blush on his face, but the grin remained.

"These," he said, handing me the flowers, "are for you."

My jaw dropped and I stared at them in shock.

"These _are_ the right flowers, right?" he asked, suddenly worried he brought me the wrong thing. His brow furrowed and he frowned.

I smiled and met his eyes.

"Yes, Lord Eliwood, these are the right flowers," I reassured, fingering the silken white petals. "But Lord Eliwood, these only grow in--"

"I know," he said, cutting me off. "I went all the way to Ilia to get them for you."

I gasped and stared at him in disbelief. He went all the way to Ilia just to bring me back my favourite flower? Who would do such a thing?

...Oh, right, this is Lord Eliwood. Only he would do such a thing.

"Y-You didn't have to do that, Lord Eliwood," I stammered. "Pheraean roses are just fine, you know."

The smile returned once again, and I saw his hand go for a pocket inside his overcoat.

"I wanted to do something special for you, Ninian," he replied. "I love you."

Before I could say anything further, he pulled out a small black box and held it in his palm.

"I also got you something else," he said, blushing harder now. I stared at the object in his hand and placed the Ilian white lilies on the comforter carefully.

"What is it, Lord Eliwood?"

He said nothing, just got down on his knees and grabbed my hand.

"...I've been wanting to do this for quite some time now, Ninian," he said, rubbing my hand with his thumb. "I've finally worked up the courage to do so."

He paused a bit, as if thinking of how he should word his sentence. Lord Eliwood was known for being quite poetic with his speech.

"Ever since I first met you...I felt this way, and I know you felt the same--and you still do. I was glad you decided to stay here, with me, that you loved me... You're the only one I've ever felt this way about, Ninian."

Lord Eliwood, your face is turning redder, and I'm sure mine is as well, for my cheeks feel warm.

"I guess I should just come out and say it." He opened the box and inside was the most beautiful ring I had ever lain eyes on. There were small diamonds around an even bigger one, with sapphires mixed in between them. I looked from the ring to him, and then back to the ring and back again to him. I didn't know what to say, or what he was trying to say.

"Ninian... I would love to have you be my bride."

It was a good thing I was already sitting down on the bed, else I would have probably ended up fainting. His cheeks were the colour of his hair by this time, and his eyes were focused more on the rug pattern than on my expression. What are you afraid of, Lord Eliwood? Are you afraid I'll say no?

"...Do you really mean it?" The words came out from my mouth automatically. I wasn't used to this, I wasn't used to someone else caring about me this way. It was always just Nils and I... But Nils wasn't here now, he was in the Dragon World (hopefully happy), and I was here in the Human World with _him_.

"Of course I mean it," Lord Eliwood replied. "Do you doubt my feelings for you?"

I shook my head, my voice refused to work.

"...Then what is your answer?" He looked at me, hopeful I would say all the things he wanted to hear.

I squeezed his hand and smiled, the tears I didn't know were welled up in my eyes falling down my cheeks as I laughed lightly in disbelief.

"Are you sure you want me as your bride?" I asked as he moved from a kneeling position to a standing one, concerned over my tears.

"I would go through Hell just to hold your hand, Ninian. My feelings for you are as true as the grass is green. I love you." He sat next to me then, cradling me in his arms, ring out of the box and in his hand.

"...Yes," I whispered, unable to speak louder or I would surely cry harder. "I will let you have me."

He took my right hand then and slipped the ring on my finger, all the while wiping my tears away with little kisses.

"I want you to be happy, Ninian," he said. "I want to make you the happiest woman alive."

I snuggled close to him then, his arm wrapped around my body, my hands against his chest, and my head in the crook of his neck.

"If I am forever yours, then I will be the happiest woman alive," I replied, and he laughed and kissed my forehead.

_I would rather live a short life with the man I love than to live for all eternity without him._

-x-

_You know, you know_

_that I love you_

_I have loved you along._ --"Far Away" by Nickelback


End file.
